Education and Software
In addition to networking and community, The Christian PEN can provide you with education. Whether you are a seasoned editor or thinking about becoming one, learn through online courses at The PEN Institute, through workshops at PENCON (our annual editors’ conference), and as a Silver or Gold member in our private email group where we share tips, ask questions, and offer years of experience at a moment’s notice. Explore these and other educational resources below.
Offered at a discounted annual fee for PEN members, The Chicago Manual of Style subscriptions allow access to the full contents of the 17th and 18th editions. PEN members receive 20 percent off their CMOS online subscriptions when they use the member discount code, found on the member home pages. Please contact the PEN Director at director@thechristianpen.com for more details.
PerfectIt software by Intelligent Editing helps catch grammatical inconsistencies and other errors. The program can be linked with an online CMOS subscription for a seamless style-checking process. PEN members at the Silver and Gold levels receive 30 percent discounts on this software. Please contact the PEN Director at director@thechristianpen.com with questions about this benefit.
The PEN Institute, a sister organization to The Christian PEN and another division of Christian Editors Association, offers a variety of courses, webinars, individual learning, and mentoring. Whether you are just beginning your editing career or are looking for an advanced class to update your skills, TPI has the educational resource for you. Courses are scheduled throughout the year, and they are online and extremely flexible so students worldwide can receive training. Members of The Christian PEN receive discounts on all courses at The PEN Institute. Visit the PEN membership page to become a Bronze, Silver, or Gold member today. See the current list of courses here.
PENCON, a division of Christian Editors Association, is the only conference for editors in the Christian market. The annual conference is typically held in the beginning of May. PENCON is virtual and offers opportunities for attendees to interact with faculty during workshops and one-on-one appointments. You will also be able to meet and converse with other attendees in PENCON’s virtual fellowship meetings. There are many Christian writers’ conferences, but PENCON intentionally chooses its faculty to bring session topics and discussions specifically designed for editors. Many attendees are beginning or established freelance editors for private clients; however, all editors are encouraged to attend. In-house editors, early readers, and freelancers for publishing houses will greatly benefit from PENCON’s network of editors and the education it offers.
Join us at PENCON to learn how to begin your new editing business, see if editing is the right choice for you, brush up on your editing skills, or network with other highly-qualified professionals in the industry. We look forward to meeting you.